Data

The European strategy for data of February 2020 aims to build a genuine single market for data, where data can flow freely and securely across sectors and Member States. 

The Data Governance Act and the Data Act are the two key legislative pillars of the strategy. In addition, under the strategy, the Commission will fund and promote the deployment of Common European Data Spaces in a number of strategic economic sectors and domains of public interest.

These actions will foster the emergence of an innovative data-driven ecosystem in the EU with massive economic and societal value.

The Data Governance Act increases trust in voluntary data-sharing mechanisms. 

It regulates organisations that bring the supply and demand of data together, which will increase data availability for use and re-use. Moreover, it empowers citizens and businesses with greater control over their data. 

The Data Governance Act boosts the development of trustworthy data-sharing systems by:

• Enhancing the reuse of public sector data that cannot be made available as open data

• Ensuring data intermediation services providers remain neutral and act solely as intermediaries, without deriving value from the exchanged data

• Facilitating data altruism to make it easier and safer for companies and individuals to voluntarily make their data available for the benefit of society

• Setting up a European Data Innovation Board to help coordinate and harmonise the implementation of the European strategy for data

Data access and reuse can generate social and economic benefits of 1% to 2.5% of GDP. The new rules and data-sharing mechanisms will have a wider impact on the EU economy and society as a whole.

€5-11 trillion

Internet of Things value and services by 2030 globally

€270 billion

Expected EU-27 GDP by 2028 thanks to new data rules

€120 billion

Savings in the EU health sector per year

5-10%

Companies investing in data-driven innovation exhibit faster productivity growth by 5-10%

10-20%

Savings in the transport, buildings and industry sectors with real-time analytics of data

€1.3 trillion

increased productivity in manufacturing through Internet of Things data by 2027

Health data

Providing better healthcare, improving personalised treatments, helping cure rare or chronic diseases

Mobility data

Saving more than 27 million hours of public transport users’ time and up to €20 billion a year in labour costs of car drivers thanks to real-time navigation

Environmental data

Combatting climate change, reducing CO₂ emissions and fighting emergencies, such as floods and wildfires

Agricultural data

Developing precision farming, new products in the agri-food sector or new services in rural areas

Public administration data

Delivering better and more reliable official statistics, contributing to evidence-based decisions

Common European Data Spaces will make more data available for access and reuse. This will be done in a trustworthy and secure environment for the benefit of European businesses and citizens.

What underpins all European data spaces is common data infrastructures and governance frameworks, which facilitates data pooling, access and sharing.